eternal love in books (also transformed into films)

[downing]

Hello! I have to do an ''essay'' at English in which I should compare some books from English and American literature, find similarities (I should follow a certain common point in these books) and reach to a conclusion: if love is eternal or not.
My choices were:
1.Wuthering Heights
2.The Great Gatsby
3.Pride and Prejudice
4.Gone with the Wind
5.Tess
6.Tender is the night


It occured to me now that maybe the most suitable is Romeo and Juliet.
The books also need to be turned into films so that we could also say something about the ecranisations. Now, the problem is: Is Gone with the Wind suitable? Because Rhett says in the end: ''Scarlett, don't you think that even the most deathless love can die?''. Or, shall I use it as illustrating the oppposite of eternal love? What do you guys think?
I also have reserves about Pride and Prejudice, Tess, Tender is the night....do we find such things like eternal love here? Please help. I chose these novels, but I can change them. My question is: please tell me whether these are good and what could I refer to them, taking into account my subject.
OR very very important give me other suggestion;) Pleasee....

[valleyjune]

I would say Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, Cyrano and Lord of the Rings (Arwen-Aragorn, of course)
The "A Valediction: forbiddiing mourning" by John Donne or some Cummings' poems would be nice examples of eternal love in poetry

[JBI]

All bad examples, in my opinion. The best example is Wagner's Tristan and Isolde (which unfortunately is in German). In fact, all of Wagner's Operas (the late ones anyway) probe this question in one way or another. Love doesn't really exist in many of those works, and I would also argue that only Juliet represents the ideal in Romeo and Juliet (My bounty is as boundless as the sea, / my love as deep; the more I give to thee,/ the more I have for both are infinite.) Shakespeare doesn't really seem to believe in this, but proposes a more changing love (as seen in his sonnets, especially 116).

Pride and Prejudice seems also to be completely wrong, in terms of choice, since Austen was more critical of this "eternal love". Jane and Darcy are happiest together not because of their love, but because of their compatibility. The couple that is the most in love seems Jane and Binley, who she remarks will have a flawed marriage, because both of them have too large a capacity for niceness, and not enough backbone and selfishness.

Wuthering Heights may be a good example, I think it could be argued of course, but anything by Fitzgerald doesn't seem to work. Especially Gatsby, which criticizes Gatsby's love more than accepts it. Gatsby, it is argued, is not truly in love with Daisy, but in love with his dream.

[Cellomaster2238]

How about 1984? "He loved Big Brother," anyone?

Maybe not the romantic love you are looking for, but definitely something different. You might look into Plato's Symposium (not exactly British or American, though).

[downing]

Oh guys! Thank you a lot for your ideas ;) I will think about them other time, of course.
I chose 4 novels and actually thought of dividing them in ''eternal'' and ''non-internal'' loves.
Eternal:
Wuthering Heights
The Great Gatsby

Non-eternal:
Gone with the Wind
Tender is the Night

I asked my teacher about it and she said it was excellent. I have references from my teacher to The great gatsby being excellent in this category.
I also thought to use ''Love's not time's fool....'' as a quote as a motto and I also need a non-eternal quote :( Please can anyone help here?

[Pensive]

Wuthering Heights may be a good example, I think it could be argued of course, but anything by Fitzgerald doesn't seem to work.

Yes, Wuthering Heights seems like a good example and the best argument I can think of against it has to be the originality of love in Catherine and Healthcliff's case. Many people I have noticed can't accept what existed between them was anything more than obsession/desire but then it all comes to how you define love and that's a pretty hard business itself.

Hmmm, how about Love in the Time of Cholera? That might suit what you want to come to the conclusion that eternal love exists.

[JBI]

Gatsby doesn't fall into that category. Try arguing it as much as you can, I assure you it does not fall in that category. Is this a highschool teacher? I don't know about teachers where you are from, but here they only need a lit-100 course (this includes an introductory drama course, or even just your standard narrative course) to get their teachable. Most of them are semi-read and have no clue about the study of English, so often lead students to difficult corners and argue that they are not working hard enough (don't get me wrong, they have a difficult and important job, it's just that they are not very good authorities on anything specialized, such as a specialized assignment).

If it is a university professor, I cannot understand how he could stick Gatsby in that category, though I doubt it is a Professor. You're better off with other books. To be honest, Gone With The Wind seems more about eternal love than Gatsby. If you are going just by the famous ending, you are mis-interpreting the book. The last line is hardly significant in the scheme of the large novel.

[downing]

''Scarlett, don't you think that even the most deathless love can die?''
Isn't this a solid argument that the love between Rhett and Scarlett is not eternal?

High-school teacher. I have to re-read The Great Gatsby and I can talk after that.

[sofia82]

The best example is Wagner's Tristan and Isolde (which unfortunately is in German).

I think it is the best example and the first example of an eternal love. But it written in English, too; although it is one of works in Middle English literature written by Thomas of England and Marie De France. Moreover, there is an movie based on this romance [The most recent Tristan film is 2006's Tristan & Isolde, produced by Tony Scott and Ridley Scott, written by Dean Georgaris, directed by Kevin Reynolds, and starring James Franco and Sophia Myles.]. And there are some episodes about Tristran in Arthur's Legends too.

[_Shannon_]

I don't know if you can use modern ficition or not-- if so, you could use Richard Russo's Bridge of Sighs. It's main point is that love endures when we make the choice to love and live this life--and not all the other possible lives we moight have or might have had.

The Romance of the Forest by Ann Radcliffe I think could be used to illustrate "eternal love"- ..between ADelaide and Theodore

A great example to discuss eternal love could be Lord of the Rings- Arwen and Aragorn.

Jane Eyre might be a good choice. As might A Farewell to Arms, Persuasion, and My Antonia....


:blush: Now reading the entire thread I see that you have already chose then books....Hmmmmm. I don't think that eternal love is an aspect of The Great Gatsby:confused:

[JBI]

I think it is the best example and the first example of an eternal love. But it written in English, too; although it is one of works in Middle English literature written by Thomas of England and Marie De France. Moreover, there is an movie based on this romance [The most recent Tristan film is 2006's Tristan & Isolde, produced by Tony Scott and Ridley Scott, written by Dean Georgaris, directed by Kevin Reynolds, and starring James Franco and Sophia Myles.]. And there are some episodes about Tristran in Arthur's Legends too.

I shied away from the medieval sources because a) they really aren't written in English (that broken Anglo-Norman/early-middle-English can't really be read unless in translation), and b) chivalric conceptions of love are strange, and don't seem to fit in our concept of what love is.

[sofia82]

I shied away from the medieval sources because a) they really aren't written in English (that broken Anglo-Norman/early-middle-English can't really be read unless in translation), and b) chivalric conceptions of love are strange, and don't seem to fit in our concept of what love is.

Oh, ya you're right. in adidition to the languagge, the subject and characters are even non-Englihs such as Beowulf. And chivalric love seems strange for modern readers. Anyway, it is one aspect of love.

[Pecksie]

Oh guys! Thank you a lot for your ideas ;) I will think about them other time, of course.
I chose 4 novels and actually thought of dividing them in ''eternal'' and ''non-internal'' loves.
Eternal:
Wuthering Heights
The Great Gatsby

Non-eternal:
Gone with the Wind
Tender is the Night

I asked my teacher about it and she said it was excellent. I have references from my teacher to The great gatsby being excellent in this category.
I also thought to use ''Love's not time's fool....'' as a quote as a motto and I also need a non-eternal quote :( Please can anyone help here?


"Love is eternal while it lasts" - I've seen this quote attributed to Vinicius de Moraes, but it might be a good deal older.

[downing]

Thank you, Pecksie!
Washington Square instead of Tender is the night - i decided.

[ballb]

Surprised no one mentioned "Love In The Time of Cholera" by Marquez

[downing]

Actually Pensive did mention it, but it is out of the discussion as I need only English and American literature.